Automobile seat construction



Nov. 27, 1951 T. L. HIBBARD ETAL 2,576,343

AUTOMOBILE SEAT CONSTRUCTION Filed June 6, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 J T.HIBBARD S.J. GALLA INVENTORS ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 27, 1951 T. L. HIBBARD ETAL AUTOMOBILE SEAT CONSTRUCTION 5Sheets-Sheet 2 ,Filed June 6, 1946 Nov. 27, 1951 T. L. HIBBARD ETAL.2,576,343

I AUTOMOBILE SEAT CONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets- Sheet 3 Filed June 6, 1946T.L.H|BBARD s41. GALLA V fl aam.

ATTORNEYS Nov. 27, 1951 T. 1.. HIBBARD EI'AL AUTOMOBILE SEATCONSTRUCTION 5 SheetsSheet 4 Filed June 6, 1946 z/a M- ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 27, 1951 T. L. HIBBARD ETAL 2,576,343

AUTOMOBILE SEAT CONSTRUCTION Filed June 6, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 T. L.HIBBARD S.J. GALLA INVENTORS AITORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 27, 1951 AUTOMOBILE SEAT CONSTRUCTION Thomas L. Hibbard,Birmingham, and Stephen J. Galla, Detroit, Mich., assignors to FordMotor Company, Dearborn, Mich., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationJune 6, 1946, Serial No. 674,828

4 Claims. (01. 155-7) This invention relates generally to automobileseat construction and refers more particularly to automobile seatsadapted to be readily converted into a bed.

Traveling, both for recreational and for business purposes, has becomecommon practice with the average American. A large portion of thistravel is by automobile, and one of the most serious problemsconfronting the motorist has been that of finding adequate overnightaccommodations. Hotels, tourist camps and trailers each fill a portionof the requirements but for various reasons are not always satisfactory.Reservations in hotels and tourist camps may be difiicult to obtain, andtheir locations may not be entirely suitable or among the most pleasantsurroundings. House trailers are cumbersome and unwieldy duringtraveling on the road, and finding a suitable location where overnightparking of a trailer will be permitted is often difficult. With thepresent invention the need for reliance upon the above-mentionedfacilities is eliminated, and the traveler is given a wide latitude inchoice of location for an overnight stop'since it is only necessary thathe find a convenient place for parking his automobile.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to providefront and rear automobile seats in an automobile of the two-door,four-door, sport sedan or other similar type, which may be readilyconverted from use for normal driving purposes to use as a double size,full length bed for sleeping purposes. Although it is recognized that inthe past certain other constructions have been proposed for thispurpose, it is believed-that the present construction embodies manyadvantages not heretofore attained. For example, the presentconstruction detracts in no way from the comfort and appearance of theseats during normal use while driving, yet easily and quickly convertsinto a full size bed rivaling the comfort of normal beds. Soft,comfortable springs can be incorporated into the seats, and the latterare arranged so as to form a flat continuous surface. In addition, theconstruction is relatively simple and easy to manufacture, and theadditional cost as compared with the cost of conventional automobileseats is not prohibitive. As desired, the convertible seats can beinstalled in the factory as standard or optional equipment, or can beprovided as an accessory to replace normal seats at any time. Because ofthe simplicity of the construction there is little to get out of order,eliminating maintenance problems.

. Another object of the present invention is to horizontal position, thepassenger may choose themost comfortable adjustment for his particularneeds. In addition, the drivers seat can also be adjusted to recliningpositions, thus affording adjustment to the most comfortable drivingangle and also enabling the drivers seat to be moved to a recliningposition for resting during stops.

In addition to normal traveling and touring,

the convertible seat construction is also advantageous for other uses.For example, it may be used as an emergency ambulance, or by doctors ornurses to carry injured persons or invalids, since a complete bed may beformed without altering the position of the driver's seat.

When using an automobile equipped with the present construction as a bedfor sleeping purposes, additional privacy and comfort can be secured byproviding curtains covering the windows and by utilizing screens such asshown in the co-pending application of Stephen J. Galla entitled Window.Screen, Serial No. 659,793, filed April 5, 1946, now Patent No.2,568,800, granted September 25, 1951.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a front seatconstruction for an automobile in which the seats are individuallyoperable and in which there is no interference with the normaloperations of adjusting the seat longitudinally to accommodate personsof various sizes and tilting the back cushion of the seat forwardly toprovide access to the rear seat in two-door body styles. The presentfront seat mechanism is easily operated, continuously adjustable, of

sturdy and rigid tubular construction, and operates to pivot the backcushion downwardly and to simultaneously raise the seat cushion toprovide a level continuous surface.

The construction of the rear seat is such that in appearance and comfortit is practically indistinguishable from the normal seat constructionwith the exception that the back cushion is divided. Adjustment of therear seat to bed position is easily accomplished with a minimum [ofefiort, and the brackets used to support the'seat cushions in the latterposition are easily moved to their operative positions, yet arecompletely concealed during normal use of the automobile.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be made moreapparent as this description proceeds, particularly when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is aperspective view of front and rear seats embodying the presentinvention, with the outline of an automobile body shown diagrammaticallyin dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the construction shown in Figure 1with the seats converted into a bed.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal side elevational View of the front and rearseats in their normal driving positions.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the seats adjustedinto position to form a bed.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the front seats with thecushions removed.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view on the line 6--6 of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the rearseat construction, showing particularly the intermediate supportingbrackets.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear seatconstruction, showing particularly the lower supporting brackets.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear seatconstruction, showing particularly the upper support brackets.

Figures 1-0 to inclusive are diagrammatic side elevational views showingthe successive steps in converting the front and rear seats from normaldriving position to bed position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be noted thatFigure 1 illustrates the drivers seat II and the rear seat I2 in theirnormal driving positions, while the right front or passengers seat I3 isshown in a partially reclined position. The automobile body It is showndiagrammatically in dotted outline and it will be understood that theseats of the present invention can be used with various types of bodyconstructions, such as with two-door sedans, fourdoor sedans, sportsedans, and other styles.

Inasmuch as the drivers seat I I and the front passenger seat I3 areidentical in construction, throughout this specification only one willbe described in detail. Each includes a seat cushion l5 and a normallyupright back cushion l5. Suitable trim panels I! are mounted adjacentthe outer sides of the seat cushions I5, to cover the working mechanismof the seat and conceal the space beneath the seat. The rear seat i2comprises a seat cushion I8 and upper and lower rear cushions I9 and 2|respectively. The various cushions mentioned above may be constructedaccording to conventional practice and include suitable springs properlyjoined together and covered with upholstery material. Stationary armrests 22 are provided on opposite sides of the rear seat I 2, and thesupporting structure for the seat cushion I8 is concealed by a trimstrip 23 beneath the seat cushion.

In Figure l the front passenger seat I3 is shown in a partially reclinedposition to enable the passenger to rest during traveling. To add to hiscomfort, a removable headrest 24 is provided and forms a continuation ofthe back cushion It. In Figure 2 the front and rear seats are shownconverted into a double size, full length bed and it willbe noted thatthe back cushions I 5 of the front 4 seats have been lowered to ahorizontal position and that the rearward portions of the seat cushionsI5 have been raised to provide a substantially horizontal surface. Thisis necessary since conventionally the front seat cushions slope slightlydownwardly in a rearward direction to obtain maximum seating comfort. Itwill also be noted that the rear seat cushions I8 have been movedslightly forwardly and the rear edge thereof raised so that the uppersurface of the seat is horizontal, and also that the lower back cushion2! has been shifted to a substantially horizontal position. Thus, thecushions i5, l6, l8 and El form a bed.

Inasmuch as the front seats I I and I3- may be used in combination withthe rear seat 52 to form a bed, and may also be used independently ofthe rear seat to form individual reclining seats, the construction ofthe front seats will be described first. Reference is made particularlyto Figure 5, which shows the frame of one of the front seats with thecushions i5 and It removed, and also to Figures 3 and 4 which show therelative positions of the various parts of the front seat in both thenormal position and the lowered bed position.

Each front seat has a lower frame 25 for supporting the seat cushion I5and an upper frame 28 for supporting the back cushion -I 6. The lowerframe 25 is of tubular construction and comprises a generally U-shapedframe member 21. A pair of upwardly extending flat plates 28 are weldedto the ends of the frame member 2'1, and a trans verse tubular brace 29extends between the sides of the frame member 27, being welded theretoat opposite ends. The lower frame 25 is mounted upon a supportingstructure of the rail and slide type such as is conventionally used inconnection with adjustable front seats. The supporting structureincludes a pair of upright rails 30 spaced transversely and mounted uponthe floor 3| of the automobile body. The upper edges of the rails 30 areembraced by slides 32 which are slideably mounted thereon by anysuitable means, such as rollers (not shown) or the like. The lower frame25 is mounted upon the slides 32, being connected thereto by brackets 33depending from the transverse brace 29 and welded or otherwise suitablysecured to the rearward ends of the slides, the forward side of theU-shaped frame member 21 being Welded to the forward ends of the slides.It will thus be seen that the slides and rails permit longitudinaladjustment of the seat frame 25 to accommodate persons of various sizes.Simultaneous movement of opposite sides of the seat is insured by a seatadjusting structure of the conventional type including racks 34 securedto the rails 39 and cooperating pinions mounted at opposite ends of a.cross shaft 35, the opposite ends of the latter being journaled inbrackets 37 carried by the slides 32. The slides 32 are locked inv theiradjusted positions by means of a locking lever 31' which may be readilyreleased when it is desired to adjust the seat longitudinally.

The upper seat frame 26 likewise comprises a U-shaped tubular framemember 38 strengthened by a transversely extending tubular brace 39. Thelower ends of the U-shaped frame member 38 have secured thereto flatbifurcated plates 49 each having diverging arms M and 42. The upper seatframe 26 is pivotally mounted upon the lower seat frame 25 by means of apair of pivot bolts 43 extending through the upper ends of the plates 28of the lower seat frame 25 and the plates 49 of the upper seat frame 26.It will be noted that the arms 42 of the bifurcated flanges 39 are pro-'vided with arcuate slots 44 and that the bolts 43 pass through the upperends of the slots. As will be explained more in detail later, the slots44 permit the upper seat frame 26 to be pivoted forwardly to provideaccess to the rear seats of vehicles of the two-door type.

A cross shaft 45 is journaled in the upright plates 28 of the lowerframe 25. The opposite ends of the cross shaft 45 extend through and aslight distance beyond the plates 28 and carry at their extremitiesactuating levers 46. The outer ends of the actuating levers 46 areconnected to the ends of the arms 4| by means of links 41. It will nowbe apparent that pivotal movement of the cross shaft 45 operates theactuating levers 46 and the interconnecting links 41 and results inrearward and downward pivotal movement of the upper seat frame 26 aboutthe pivot bolts 43. R- tation of the cross shaft 45 is accomplished bymeans of a telescopic adjuster 48 of the screw type. The adjuster 48includes a tubular housing 49 mounted upon the front portion of the U-shaped frame member 21 by means of a bracket 56 and a threadedadjusting rod journaled in the housing 49 and rotated by means of acrank 52. The adjusting rod 5| engages a tapped hollow tube 53 which inturn is secured by a connecting rod 54 to an arm 55 welded to the crossshaft 45. Actuation of the handle 52 is thus effective to retract orextend the tube 53 with respectto the tubular housing 49 and to rotatethe cross shaft 45 to raise or lower the upper seat frame 26 about thepivots 43.

As best seen in Figures 3 and 4, the seat cushion I5 is supported upon asub frame 56 which has depending therefrom a pair of brackets 51 onopposite sides of the frame. The brackets 51 are pivotally connected tothe extreme outer ends of the actuating levers 46 by the pivot pins 58.The front portion of the sub frame 56 of the front seat cushionslideably rests upon the front portion of the U-shaped frame member 21,and it will be readily seen that as the actuating lever 46 is swungupwardly during the movement of the upper frame 26 to its loweredposition the readward portion of the seat cushion 5 is simultaneouslyraised to assume a substantially horizontal position as shown in Figure4.

A supporting bracket 59 for the headrest 24 is welded to the upperportion of the upper seat frame 26 and, as best seen in Figure 6, isformed of a pair of stampings 60 and 6| welded together and formed toprovide a pair of vertically extending slots 62 for receiving thesupporting legs 63 depending from the headrest.

The construction of the rear seat l2 will now be described. The floor 3|of the body extends rearwardly under the rear seat and is so shaped asto provide, in succession, an upwardly inclined portion 66, a horizontalledge 61, an upwardly inclined portion 68 and a horizontal portion 69forming the rear deck floor. Extending upwardly from the junctionbetween the inclined portion 68 and the rear deck floor 69 is a verticalpartition 1 I, the upper end of which is joined to a horizontallyextending panel 12 forming a luggage shelf back of the rear seat. Threetransversely spaced brackets 13 are mounted at the juncture between thepartition 1| and the panel 12 by means of bolts 14, as best seen inFigures 3, 4 and 9. The brackets 13 form part of hinges which serve topivotally mount the upper rear cushion Hi to permit the latter to beswung upwardly as well as downwardly from its normal position. Inaddition, the hinges 15 vertically support the upper ends of thecollapsible brackets 16. As seen in Figure 9, each of the three 001-lapsible brackets 16 includes an upper bar 11 and a lower bar 18pivotally connected together at 19. To enable the three brackets 16 tobe operated simultaneously, the free ends of the lower bars 18 arejoined together by a transversely extending brace 8|. In the normalposition of the brackets 16, as shown in-Figures 3 and 9, the bracketsare extended so that the upper bars 11 form supports for the upper rearcushion I9 and the lower rear cushion 2|, the free ends of the lowerbars 18 being seated in the corner formed between the inclined portion68 of the floor and the vertical partition 1|. These brackets areadapted, however, to be collapsed to the position shown in Figure 4, inwhich the upper and lower bars 11 and 18 are folded flat against thevertical partition 1|.

The lower rear cushion 2| is mounted for pivotal movement about atransversely extending rod 82 which is suitably secured to the frame ofthe cushion. Three transversely spaced pivotal supports 83 are providedfor pivotallysupporting the rod 82 and the cushion 2 I. Each pivotalsupport 83 comprises a vertically extending bracket 84 provided at itslower end with a flange 85 welded to the inclined portion 68 of thefloor and at its upper end with a retaining flange 66. A second bracket81 is bolted to each of the vertical brackets 84 and cooperates with thebrackets 84 and the flanges 86 to form journals for the rod 82. It willbe apparent from Figures 3 and 4 that the lower seat cushion 2| is thuspivotally mounted for swinging movement between the substantiallyupright position shown in Figure 3 and the substantially horizontalposition shown in Figure 4.

As best seen in Figures 3, 4 and 7, three laterally spaced brackets 88are suitably secured to the underside of the lower seat cushion 2| atthe forward edge thereof. The brackets 88 extend forwardly beyond thecushion, being bent upwardly and formed with seating portions 89, at

the outer ends of which are pivotally mounted brackets 9|. The lowerends of the brackets 9| are joined together by a transversely extendingbrace 92 to permit all three brackets to be operated in unison. In thenormal position of the rear seat, as shown in Figure 3, the brackets 9|rest upon a ledge 61 and form supports for the rear portion of the rearseat cushion l8. As seen in Figure 4, when the lower rear cushion 2| ispivoted to a substantially horizontal position, the brackets 9| areswung downwardly so that the lower ends thereof rest upon the ledge 61.In this position, the seating portions 89 of the brackets 88 formsupports for the rear portion of the rear seat cushion I6, raising thelatter so that the upper surface thereof is substantially horizontal. Itwill be noted that durin the normal position of the rear seat cushionla, the forward portion of the latter rests upon a vertical supportingpanel 93 extending upwardly from the floor 3 The trim strip 23,previously mentioned, is secured to the outer surface of the panel 93.

Figures 3, 4 and 8 illustrate the lower brackets 94 which are normallyconcealed beneath the rear seat cushion |8 but which may be swungoutwardly to form supports for the upper portion of the back cushion l6of the front seats H and I3. Each bracket 94 comprises a plate 95 boltedupon the inner surface of the vertical panel 93 and an arm 96 pivotallyconnected to the upper end of the plate 95. The arm 96 is provided anoffset portion 91 adapted to support the rear edge of the cushions 46when in the position shown in Figure 4. At the same time, the forwardportion of the rear seat cushion 18 also rests upon the arms 96.

Figures 10 to show diagrammatically the successive steps necessary toconvert the front and rear seats into a full length, double size bed. InFigure 10 the front seat l3 and the rear seat l2 are shown in theirnormal position. It will be seen that in this position the variousbrackets which adjustably support the cushions 18, I9 and 2| of the rearseat are completely concealed by the cushions and consequently do notdetract from the appearance of the vehicle.

The first step in converting the seats into a bed is shown in Figure 11,in which the rear seat cushion i8 is lifted bodily upwardly andforwardly and the arms 96 of the brackets 94 are swung outwardly. Seatcushion I8 is subsequently temporarily supported upon the brackets 94 asshown in Figure 12.

The next step is to raise the upper rear cushion 19 about the hinges l5to the position shown in Figure 12 in which the cushion l8 rests uponthe shelf '62, and then to collapse the upper brackets i6 and fold thelatter fiat against the partition H.

Figure 13 illustrates the next step, which comprises swinging the lowerrear cushion 2! about the pivotal axis formed by the rod 82 and thepivotal supports as to a substantially horizontal position. At the sametime, the brackets 9! are swung to a substantially vertical positionsuch that the lower edges thereof rest upon the ledge 67. Inasmuch asthe three brackets iii are connected together by the transverse braceas, they may be simultaneously moved to the position shown in Figure 12in one operation.

Following this, the rear seat cushion I8 is bodily lifted to theposition shown in Figure 1 in which the rearward edge thereof issupported upon the seating portions 89 of the brackets 88 and theforward edge thereof rests upon the arms Figure 14. also illustrates theupper seat cushion 19 as being swung downwardly. In this position itforms a cushioned wall at the end of the bed, although if desired theupper cushion may be left in its raised position as shown in Figure 13.With the latter arrangement a greater length of the bed is available foruse. Attention is invited to the fact that the lower cushion 2! issupported in a slightly inclined position to form a pillow-like portionat the head of the bed.

The final step is shown in Figure 15, in which the crank 52 has beenoperated to lower the upper frame of the front seat and the back cushion15 carried thereby to a horizontal position with the rearward edge ofthe cushion supported upon the offset portion 531' of the arms 96. Aspreviously mentioned, the levers 56 of the front seat operating linkageare swung upwardly as the crank is operated to simultaneously raise thefront seat cushion E5 to a horizontal position.

Attention is also invited to the fact that the construction of thepresent invention can be used with a coupe or with a station wagon aswell as with the sedan type body illustrated in the drawings. When usedwith a coupe, the front seats are each equipped with headrests so thatthey can be used as reclining seats. Footrests may also be provided toadd to the comfort of the passengers. If the coupe is of the fivepassenger type, the reclining front seats can be lowered until they restupon the rear seat cushion, thus providing a firm support for thereclining seats. In the latter position the seats are nearly horizontaland when used with headrests and footrests serve as individual beds.

In lieu of the manually operated mechanism for lowering the back of thefront seats, suitable hydraulic or electric power mechanism may be usedto facilitate the operation of the seats.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that we have provided front andrear seats for an automobile which may be readily converted by a fewsimple operations from their normal upright positions to positions suchthat they form a full sized bed. It will also be noted that the backcushion l6 of the drivers seat 1 I can be maintained in its uprightnormal driving position and the right front or passengers seat It tiltedbackwardly to any desired reclining position for the comfort of thepassenger. In addition, while still maintaining the drivers seatupright, the right front passenger seat and the rear seat may beconverted into a partial bed at one side of the vehicle, so that injuredpersons or invalids may be transported comfortably and safely inemergencies. Ihis arrangement, in fact, permits one passenger to sleepwhile the car is traveling. Due to the simplified construction, the costof the convertible seats is not prohibitive, and is fully justified bythe abovementioned uses and advantages, as well as others whichwill'undoubtedly occur to the user. 1

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to theexact construction shown and described, but that various changes andmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vehicular seat construction in which the front seat back iscapable of reclining and forming with the back seat a substantiallyhorizontal surface, a vertical panel secured to the vehicle fiooradjacent to and parallel with the front edge of the rear seat, a bracketcomprising a vertical leg member fastened to said vertical panel and asecond leg member hinged to the first leg member at the level of the topof the vertical panel and capable of rotation into a position in whichsaid second leg member can support the top edge of the front seat backin the completely reclining position, said second leg member being inturn supported upon the top of the vertical panel.

2. A vehicular seat construction which is readily converted from theusual riding position to a full size bed comprising a front seat havinga seat and a seat back, the seat back being adjustable from a completelyerect to a completely reclining position and a seat cushion supported atits rear by a linkage which raises and lowers the rear of the seatcushion as the seat back is moved from the erect to the recliningposition and from the reclining to the erect position, and a backseatcomprising a seat cushion, an upper back cushion and a lower backcushion, the front of the seat cushion being supported upon bracketswhich also support the top of the front seat back in the completelyreclining position, the back of the seat cushion being supported on abracket which also supports the lower edge of the lower back cushion,said lower back cushion being supported pivotally intermediate its topand bottom edges on a horizontal pin and at its upper end by afoldscoping within a tubular housing, a connecting rod joining theinternally threaded tube to an adjustin arm and securing the tubeagainst rotation, a cross shaft supporting the adjusting arm androtatable thereby, links rigidly secured to the ends of the cross shaftprovided at the end remote from the cross shaft with an aperturearranged to receive a pin designed to support a seat cushion andprovided intermediate its ends with a second link, and a seat back frameterminating at its lower end in a bifurcated member the upper tine ofwhich is secured to said second link.

4. The structure recited in claim 3 in which the lower tine of thebifurcated member is provided with an arcuate slot the center of whichcoincides with the juncture between the upper tine of the bifurcatedmember and the second link.

THOMAS L. HIBBARD. STEPHEN J. GALLA.

10 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Owen Oct. 15, 1907 Haleand Kilburn Aug. 4, 1908 Green Sept. 29, 1914 Hogan Aug. 29, 1922 WongMay 1, 1923 Graham Aug. 28, 1928 Fabio Jan. 6, 1931 Zeller Nov. 20, 1934Stewart Nov. 7, 1939 Stollsteimer July 15, 1941 Benzick et a1 July 20,1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Australia Dec. 17, 1931 Great BritainJuly 16, 1931 France July 18, 1938

